Page 40 of Craving the Player

Chapter Eighteen

BRADEN

Isee him before Sierra does—the thin figured guy standing afew doors down from her apartment, clearly not sure which one is hers as his eyes flicker from one to the next. He seems relaxed, though. Relaxed but curious, like the building is familiar but he’sforgotten what it looked like.

“Who the fuck are you?” Ispit, letting the words smack the guy waiting near across the face so that Idon’thave to. Idon’trecognize him at first or second glance, and Igrow annoyed, feeling like Ishould know the guy curling his fingers into his palm, eying Sierra like she’shis favourite snack.

“Who are you?” He throws my words back at me while moving closer and attempting to look over my shoulder when Iwrap my arm around Sierra and slide her behind me, not appreciating the way he looks at her. We’re already in front of her apartment, seeing as hers is the one directly beside the staircase. It helps settle me knowing that he’snot already too close to her space.

Cocking my brow when he takes another two steps towards me, Imeet him half-way and place my hands on his narrow shoulders. Isqueeze hard before shoving him back, smirking when he stumbles afew feet away.

“Tell me who you are before Idrag your sorry ass outside.” By the look of him, it wouldn’tbe that hard. He’sskinnier than most of the teenagers Itrain at the gym. He probably fights like one of them too, all hot-headed and cocky. Sloppy, without aplan.

“What are you doing here, Logan?” Sierra asks, sounding exasperated with this Logan guy. Ifind comfort in that. She’sbehind me again and starts to run her hand up my spine, the tight, bunched-up muscles there relaxing slightly.

The little prick takes the short distraction as an invitation to sneak past us, ducking under my arm when Itry to catch the back of his dress shirt, and slides into Sierra’sapartment. Sierra must have unlocked the door while Iwas busy trying to get his name.

Grunting under my breath, Ifollow Sierra into the apartment, slamming the door shut behind us. Logan is standing by the kitchen island, shaking like aleaf with what Iwould assume to be an ungraspable amount of adrenaline. It’sprobably burning his blood, making it thump in his ears. His chest is probably tight, the thought of seeing Sierra give another guy even aspare glance making his vision tint with red, darkening around the edges until all he can focus on is him.

Iknow that’show he feels, because it’show Ifeel. The only difference between us is that I’mnot the one watching her touch another man, attempting to comfort him with slightly, reassuring touches and whispered words.

As he watches us through an angry haze, Iwitness the last of his self-restraint snap like astretched elastic band. The second Sierra leans up on her toes, both hands gripping onto my right bicep like it’sthe only thing keeping her grounded, and presses her lips to the top of my shoulder in ashort, sweet kiss, he’sattempting to throw himself at us.

When Iguessed how this guy would handle himself in afight, Iwas one-hundred-percent accurate. With aloose jaw and wild eyes, Logan swings his fist in the air, the hit sloppily aimed at my face. The urge to laugh is too strong to fight as Icatch his fist mid-swing, wrapping my hand fully around it and squeezing. Idon’tstop squeezing when he tries to pull his arm back towards him, or when he hisses through his teeth at the pain. Istop when she asks me to, sounding only half like the Sierra that I’ve come to know.

“Let him go. He’snot worth the energy,” she says under her breath, staring up at me with asilent plea in her steel-grey eyes. “Ijust want him to leave.”

Idrop his hand and he pulls it to his chest immediately, staring down at it like he can’tbelieve it’snot broken. It would have been easy to shatter his hand in mine, Ihope he knows that Ididn’tdo it on purpose, that it was me that held back on what Iwas fully capable of doing to him.

The sigh that escapes my mouth when Ipeer down at Sierra rattles me. She clings to my side like an adorable, Sierra sized koala bear, and Ifeel apiece of me crack wide open at the sight, baring that small, yet significant part of myself to her whether she realizes it or not.

There’sno mistaking the feelings that have begun flapping away in my chest. Yet Ican’tfind it in myself to run and hide from them. Irealize now that Iwant them. Iwant her. Not just for one night, but for every night. Idon’twant to drive her home after fucking her raw. Iwant to fall asleep beside her warm, naked body and make her breakfast in the morning. I’mnot acook, but Ican try. Iwant to learn her every quirk and flaw. Iwant to hear about every important moment in her life, good or bad Idon’tcare. Ijust want to know her. She deserves someone who will put the effort in. And I’ll be damned if Ilet another guy seize the opportunity before Ican.

It’sLogan’svoice that pulls me out of my head, the thoughts disappearing before Ican grab hold of them and shove them in abox for later. “You sneaky little bitch. It was you that told Maeve where Iwas tonight, wasn’tit? Were you messing around with this guy when we were together, Sierra? Is that why you won’tgive me another chance?” He’srambling, eyes flinging around the room, pupils blown and cheeks flushed. Sierra tenses around my arm and moves impossibly closer to me, seeking comfort.

The pieces of the unfinished puzzle slowly start to come together as Irecognize the fancy buffed dress shoes and ironed suit jacket from the hotel restaurant earlier. The one grabbing on Sierra like she was his to touch. The thought of that alone is enough to have every muscle in my body coiled tight, ready to throw him to the ground and teach him the proper way to throw apunch.

“You’re nothing but astupid whore,” he spits at her, focusing on the way she clutches to me. “You’re not worth the trouble.”

“I’mgoing to give you one chance to calm down and leave before Ibreak your skull.” My tone is dark, the threat vibrating in the menacing words. “Nobody talks to Sierra like that. Do you understand me or should Ishow you what I’ll do to the next person who raises their voice or calls her awhore?”

Logan slides his venomous stare to me, his brows bunched together in thought. This guy really has no idea who Iam or what Ido for aliving, because if he did, he would know that Idon’tlike repeating myself when it comes to scum like him. It’smuch easier to hit someone instead. They don’tsecond guess you then.

“Idon’ttake kindly to people who find it so easy to talk to women like that. And Iespecially don’tlike it when that woman'smine.”

Sierra tenses briefly before relaxing again. Ialmost steal alook at her, but don’tthink I’mprepared for how I’ll feel if my slip of tongue impacted our relationship negatively. It’sbetter not to know.

“Oh yeah? And what are you going to do about it if Idon’t, pretty boy? Stay out of it. This is between her,”—he moves ahand between him and Sierra—“and me.”

Iwrap an arm around Sierra’swaist, as if on instinct, and pull her tight to my side, palming her hip in an attempt to calm myself down before Ido something that Idon’twant her to see.

“Go home, Logan. Ididn’ttell Maeve anything. But regardless, she'syour problem now, not mine. You made sure of that.” Sierra tries to reason with him, although her words end up sounding more like tired sighs than anything. Not like Iblame her, we’re both exhausted. And from the way she talks about this guy—who Ican only assume to be her ex-boyfriend—it’sclear that he’shurt her. Bad.

Logan’sAdam’sapple bobs as he registers her words before deciding not to let it go. “Iknow that you talked to her, Sierra. You never could keep your mouth shut when it came to other people'sbusiness.”

She flinches against me as he continues to scare her and Ibite my tongue when alarm bells start blasting in my ears. Holy mother of fuck. This guy is fucking dead.

I’malready in front of him, punching him square in the nose before he can blink. The solid crack in the air has my ego swelling as he stumbles backward, shooting his hand up to cradle his shattered nose as blood begins dripping onto the floor.

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